1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed towards a sound producing device, to be attached to the frame of a bicycle, which can be easily and safely attached or disattached and will remain in a fixed position during use, thereby providing a user with an enjoyable and easily utilized means of simulating a motor-like noise during bicycle riding.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For a long time, children have attached baseball cards and the like to their bicycle frames, such that when they ride their bicycles, the spokes on the tires contact the card making a motor-like noise. Accordingly, there have been many inventions in the past designed to utilize the movement of a bicycle to make noise. The majority of the inventions, such as the devices recited by Frew, U.S. Pat. No. 2,633,097, Rutledge, U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,450, Tucker, U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,677, Barthel, U.S. Pat. No. 2,914,886, Richter, U.S. Pat. No. 3,131,507, include complicated and elaborate designs utilizing clappers, sound boxes, support frames, and the like. These devices are primarily of a permanent nature and once installed are not to be removed. Further, some simpler designs such as those recited in Sorensen, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,611, Modlin, U.S. Pat. No. 2,736,136, and Zweigle, U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,151, which while including simpler designs, are nonetheless difficult to install. These various devices are particularly difficult to install by children who will be the primary users of such items. More particularly, the device of Modlin includes a metallic piece with interlocking clamps which require substantial pressure to install, include potentially dangerous sharp edges, and may not be easily removed. Also, as is evidenced by the reference to Zweigle, when the device attempts to utilize a simpler design, it is subject to slippage and rotation about the frame of the bicycle, which can potentially damage the paint and lead to rust. A device such as that of Zweigle which includes a wrap around plate having a protruding finger, which is held in place by a cord or band, evidences the difficulties with the prior art in that it is difficult to quickly and easily install, particularly by a child, and does not remain in a fixed position when subject to the constant impacts of the spokes of a bicycle.
The present invention is designed specifically to overcome the problems of the prior art. It is simple to install by any individual, including a child, and can easily be removed or repositioned without special tools or the help of an adult. Further, the present invention is adapted to completely conform to the frame of bicycles of varying dimensions, thereby enabling the device to be utilized on new bicycles or to be shared among children on different bicycles. Also, as a result of the resilient gripper inserts, should the dimensions of the bicycle frame be tapered or variable along the section to which the device is to be attached, the device will still completely and securely contact the frame to prevent it from falling off and to prevent slippage or rotation of the noise-making device after repeated impacts from the spokes of a bicycle. Accordingly, the device of the present invention is particularly effective for use by children who cannot follow complicated installation procedures and can become easily discouraged if they constantly have to reorient the device.